


hold you to the floor (I was only falling in love)

by anonshakespeare



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Episode: s01e04 Raising Hell, Episode: s01e06 Of Men And Angels, Episode: s01e10 This World Inverted, Episode: s02e03 Parabatai Lost, Episode: s02e04 Day of Wrath (mentioned), Episode: s02e07 How Are Thou Fallen, Episode: s02e10 By the Light of Dawn, Episode: s02e20 Beside Still Water, Fluff and Angst, M/M, and well then i had feelings about magnus' magic and their relationship, i got this idea from one shot in a video set, the research was just me watching malec vid compilations and dying
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-18 05:32:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13093425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonshakespeare/pseuds/anonshakespeare
Summary: This won’t be the last I see of you, Alexander, he thought to himself, and he couldn’t tell if it was his own excitement or the magic of his very soul (if the vile thing existed) that purred with excitement.(Or, four times Magnus' magic behaved... oddly around Alec, and one time that Alec had the answers.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Me? Making a different project when I'm not even done with two others? It's more likely than you think.
> 
> This was based off of one specific shot from a Malec compilation vid, and basically turned into me just thinking to myself "how does one meld the idea that Magnus is literally one of the most powerful warlocks alive with him also getting like super tired in season 1 when he's only trying to save one person" and also me screaming at the magic that is their relationship because lemme tell you, I had to watch too much Cla/ce to see all of the parts I needed to see for reference here.
> 
> Here's a link to the vid: https://youtu.be/1y-4JqVxRzk?t=53s (started at the moment that haunted me for hours before I decided to write this)
> 
> The title comes from the song "Only" by RY X.

Season 1, Episode 4,  _Raising Hell_

Magnus’ first look at Alec Lightwood was a shadowy figure in the distance, the bow and arrow between his hands strong and sure, and pointed directly at him. _Typical Shadowhunter_ , he had scoffed internally at the Wayland boy, _as if I didn’t expect you to bring back up_. When they first met eyes after he shot an arrow into his would-be attacker, Magnus took a little… Pause. A moment to appreciate the way the green and yellow lights of Pandemonium reflected off of his Deflect rune and hazel eyes, like he would appreciate any beautiful piece of art. And then he remembered the Circle rune on the dead man’s neck, and the moment was forgotten in a wide ocean of danger and death and magic that followed.

By the time Magnus could introduce himself, he had almost forgotten the pretty Lightwood boy. But then he had to go putting an arrow in someone again and well, Magnus had to thank him for that didn’t he?

“I’m Magnus, I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced…?” For a moment, he considered offering certain _services_ to pay off the two (okay, maybe one-point-five, since he probably would’ve been fine without the Lightwood’s help that second time) life debts he now owed. But then--

He smiled, so guileless and open. Said, “Alec,” that was it, no last name, just a bright look in his eyes, looking at Magnus, and Magnus decided that he was gonna introduce this boy to a whole _world_ of pleasure that he had probably not experienced, if given the opportunity.

They were not, in fact, given that opportunity.

Then they were standing on a pentagram, two Lightwoods and Clarissa and the Wayland boy, all preparing to summon a memory demon to retrieve Biscuit's memories because Valentine has taken her mother and tortured Dot and _gods above I can’t believe I’m getting involved with_ Shadowhunters _again, thank god that Ragnor is in England and can’t see it, how embarrassing_. He was at the top point, he gave them the “unbreakable bond” spiel, and then it was time to hold hands and he looked from Isabelle on his left to Alexander on his right. Magnus didn’t think twice about holding out his right hand with a flourish while staring him down as he seemed to struggle for an eternity, and just as Magnus was prepared to encourage him their hands interlocked and--

The wumpth of their connection in the pentagram locking in place was secondary to the suddenly loud beating of Magnus’ heart because his magic is a continuous never-ending stream of consciousness that he has to work to repress because if he doesn’t the demon in him really comes out to play, and the deepest parts of his magic are meant to stay that, deep and in the dark, but when Alexander grabbed his hand--

Well, it felt like that part of him was reaching out, reaching for that hand in his and while it only took a minor mental tap for it to retreat back into itself, between everyone else linking up and the rest of that god awful summoning, Magnus didn’t have time to really think on it until long after all Shadowhunters were out of his lair. Think about what on earth it could mean that his magic reacted as it did, despite it never reacting that way before without completely breaking free, how it didn’t want to break anything so much as reach out and touch--

He thought that was the end of it, of his involvement in Shadowhunter business, of his involvement with the mysterious boy who doesn’t understand himself, but as he stood on his brand new balcony, enjoying some fresh Brooklyn air, he looked at the inside of his palm and saw a number in flowing script, with the words _He’s more into cologne ;)_ written on his wrist. He honestly didn’t remember when or how Isabelle could have had the time to write it down for him, but he took another sip of his martini and smiled.

 _This won’t be the last I see of you, Alexander_ , Magnus thought to himself, and he couldn’t tell if it was his own excitement or the magic of his very soul (if the vile thing existed) that purred with excitement.

Season 1, Episode 6,  _Of Men and Angels_

Their next meeting was, unfortunately, not for those drinks that Magnus had called for on a flight of bored fancy--not that such a thing really exists in the life of a High Warlock between clients and refereeing and investigating and running a club so really it wasn’t so much bored fancy that led him to call Alexander so much as a burning need that could be quenched when a client cancelled.

No, at their next meeting, he was healing a werewolf that would become Alpha if he could live that long. Lucian Graymark--or, as he’s apparently known now, Luke Garroway--was lying on his couch, half dead and getting worse with every minute that the two annoying child-men weren’t in his loft with the ingredients he needed for the potion. Because they had taken so long, Magnus was forced to use deeper levels of magic than he was comfortable with, levels far harder to control the outcomes of. He was barely keeping it contained to healing Luke and shaking his loft, and even that was draining him too quickly. _If someone doesn’t show up soon, I may just fall over--_

And as he thought it the world tipped over and one of his hands lost its connection to his magic and soon it would be over and _goddammit this is not how I wanted to use the last of my energy, involving myself with_ Shadowhunters _, honestly_ , when suddenly there’s a hand on his back and he blinked open his eyes to look into hazel ones that he had almost forgotten the exact shade of.

Magnus is rasping out, “Help me,” and holding up a hand before his traitorous brain can warn him against offering up such vulnerabilities on a gold platter. “I need your strength,” and for a moment that stretched to infinity he was sure that Alexander would say no but then, but _then_ \--

A hand, “Take what you need.” Magnus curls his fingers around a surprisingly warm hand, letting himself for a moment enjoy basking in Alexander’s committed stare, beginning the minutes long process of finding and melding his magic with Alec’s, except that it doesn’t… Actually need that at all. Within moments of making the decision to share strength, Magnus finds that he can readily access both his own deeper well of magic and Alec’s strength, and that as soon as they held hands the two were mixing, melding into something that will help keep Luke stable until the potion arrives. With a nod from Alec, Magnus gets back to work, concentrating all of his effort on making sure that his magic actually gets to Luke rather than let it purr around Alec some more, which is an urge that Magnus will have to scorn it for later.

For what feels like both like centuries and mere moments, all Magnus can feel is his magic, the poison he’s keeping down, and Alexander’s essence, and it’s a peace he almost wouldn’t want to leave if it wasn’t also pushing him toward a gaping pit of exhaustion. By the time that the idiots have gotten back and Luke is actually given the potion, both him and Alec are completely worn out, and Magnus gives himself a little reward by falling back into Alec’s arms.

When he manages to step away from Alec (which takes a surprising amount of inner strength), all he thinks about as he deals with the rest of his guests is how… weird his magic has been acting around Alec recently, and trying to find the words to describe it.

He offers Alec a drink for his hard work, shows off a little with his magic even though that little act has him seeing a couple of stars (though that could be for the little disbelieving smile Alec gives him or from the weirdly adorable face he makes when he takes a sip), and when Alec asks him why, Magnus doesn’t have it in him to say the truth quite yet, and so he says:

“Jace didn’t tell you?”

And, “Whatever, it was a lie anyway.”

And, “I’m not being cryptic, I’m being coy.’

When Alec _still_ doesn’t get it, Magnus forces the truth from his unwilling mouth in a sigh and says:

“I wanted to see you again.”

And, “For almost a century, I’ve closed myself off to feeling anything for anyone, man or woman.”

Finally, the biggest truth that he can feel in every piece of magic currently inside of him and inside of Luke, “You’ve unlocked something in me.”

It’s awkward after that confession, and Alec’s phone breaks the tension to the point where Magnus is hit with the sudden and gripping realization that he doesn’t want Alec to leave. And somehow he convinces Alec to stay, for a little while.

They talk until almost dawn before Alec falls asleep on the couch he cleaned, and when he stalks out of Magnus’ door the next day, Magnus has to force his magic to keep the wards down long enough to let him go.

Magnus wishes, as he goes about the rest of his day, that he could understand what the hell Alexander is, and why he can’t control his magic around him.

Season 2, Episode 3,  _Parabatai Lost_

It has been… hours since Alec came back into himself. How many, Magnus is not entirely sure, but surely it’s been long enough for him to get a call back and reassure Magnus that Jace (who he reluctantly worries for) is not being sent to prison or deruned for this, and that Alec himself is doing okay, and _dammit Alexander please call me because I have never been more confused about my magic in my life_.

Magnus did, in fact, get a phone call at that moment, but it was from Victor Aldertree, not from Alec, which was not only disappointing, but lead to a whole mess of a day that lead to him sending the woman who used to hold his heart into the Clave’s custody, healing the vampire who he considered to be his son, and having to reschedule on plans with Alec, again.

And somehow, that is not the worst day of this week. Somehow, he was forced to keep someone he cared about very deeply from dying for almost a full day, with very little help strength wise. Alexander died, almost died, on Magnus’ couch, after Magnus had spent so long trying to help him, and Magnus would have been powerless to stop it if Jace had not been there.

Well, except he was powerful for a long time, and then it shut off for a moment there and it’s like…

Magnus has noticed, for a very long time, since long before Alec Lightwood and Valentines and even New York City as a concept, that his magic… acts up, when he’s upset. Hell, one of his first real acts of magic was a by-product (if a willing one) of his emotion surrounding his mother, and while it’s never been anything to that extreme again thankfully, there are still little moments where even something as intrinsic to him as his magic is completely and utterly foreign to him. For instance, when performing a spell keeping Alec’s soul in his body all day doesn’t drain him at all, but he physically feels the deeper parts of his magic fall even deeper into his soul than normal when he sees Alec…

The point it, Magnus cannot understand how his magic acted as it did for that whole day, cannot understand why Victor Aldertree is the way he is, and Magnus cannot fathom how, after barely a month, Magnus felt levels of destruction at the core of his being reserved for the deaths of his closest friends when seeing Alec dead in Jace's arms.

 _A month_ , he pondered to himself over a stiff drink, sitting on his balcony, not letting his eyes leave the crystal and amber in his hands. _And a_ Shadowhunter _too, oh, Ragnor is probably rolling in his grave right now_. Over the thoughts circling endlessly in his head, he barely hears his text tone, but when he does check his phone, he sees a text:

_So Marrakesh was a bust this time. Maybe some time soon?_

The text, despite having seen Alec in person hours ago, spreads a balm on the aching part of his soul that he did not expect, and when his magic buzzes back under the surface of his skin, like it’s actually trying to touch Alec through the phone line…

For once, Magnus doesn’t overthink it. For once, Magnus lets it go and smiles as he texts back, content to let his magic reach out in the privacy of his home.

Season 2, Episode 7,  _How Are Thou Fallen_

Their first time Alec did, actually, slow them down himself. As soon as they started to back slowly into Magnus’ bedroom, and when Magnus got over his surprise and started to kiss back, Alec stopped, and in the quiet of the moment where the only sound in his loft was panting, they heard a loud grrrRRRRGl from the direction of Alec’s stomach. Whatever tension had been there snapped, they laughed, and Alec (with the most beautiful blush covering his face) suggested that they eat first because, “Seriously Magnus, I have not eaten in so long because of Aldertree,” and then, “Dear Alec, only that man could kill the mood swifter than your saying his name did”.

So they slowed down, decided to go out and get burgers in West Village because sometimes Magnus wants to portal to far off lands to eat foods that he hasn’t eaten in decades, and sometimes the convenience of a burger when one wants to… proceed with certain plans outweighs his sense of adventure. They eat burgers, talk about their days, and only undress each other with their eyes a little bit over bitten off moans after taking a delicious bite of burger and fingers licked clean of ketchup and grease. By the time they leave the packed restaurant, both of them are equally and enthusiastically eager to get back down to business, with a quick peck as they leave turning into what they started out the night with. Magnus haphazardly throws a portal up behind him as they slowly walk backwards, and they begin the scene over again, except this time the only interruption is their laughter and smiles and the occasional shoe that can’t come off and tied up shirt and jacket that won’t quite get off how they’re supposed to.

It was nothing like Magnus imagined (quite frequently) and everything that he didn’t know he wanted, trading kisses like they were free and meant for him alone and slowly exploring the miles of skin in front of him, knowing that he has only so long so it has to count.

Too bad his magic had to ruin it by failing so spectacularly.

If he had been paying attention, he would’ve noticed the signs that meant his magic was going to do this. The buzzing under his skin that had less to do with attraction and more to do with pure magic vibrating and looking for something more fun to do, his sheets changing colors from the red they were this morning to the gold they are now, the fact that a portal he hadn’t even really made consciously succeeded so perfectly; all of this meant that his deep magic was the one calling the shots here, without his conscious decision making, and it was preparing to do more.

Which meant that it had to divert power from unnecessary things like his glamour.

 _Fuck_ Alec wasn’t supposed to be confronted with this so soon.

“Did I do something wrong?” he heard behind him somehow through the audible crack he could feel growing along his heart because this was it, the moment he reminded Alec that he was literally spawn of the devil, that the soul in his chest was meant for Hell rather than Heaven.

He answered robotically, distractedly, because unlike the first time his magic had reacted so viscerally to Alec, all it had taken was a light mental tap for it to retreat back into himself and give him some control, but now, but now the images in his head were mixing, half of former lovers’ looks of confusion and fear when looking at his eyes, and half of Alec’s trusting and happy eyes and his chest and his runes and how beautiful he is and the whole mix was so confusing he couldn’t even begin to sort out his magic, let alone his mark and he just--

If this is how it’s gonna end, then Magnus is just going to give it to Alec. Because Alec deserves the honesty he gives.

“Sometimes… I lose control.” He turned around and looked Alec right in the eye and prepared for the worst for all of three seconds, but then he watched as Alec’s face flickered from confusion to understanding to wonder and for a moment Magnus imagined all the ways he would say that it doesn’t matter, that he can just close his eyes and it won’t make a difference, that Magnus is still okay in his book even if his eyes are dangerous, because it’s obvious that he’s not going to be afraid, and Magnus can accept mild dislike, then Alec says:

“Magnus.” He licks his lips and hold Magnus’ face and his heart and magic leap-- “They’re beautiful, you’re beautiful,” and that’s it, Magnus knew that his face couldn’t have been more smitten if he tried but he can’t help because Alec--

Alec is a _wonder_ and when they get back to it, it’s soft and it’s not quite as fun but it is immeasurably tender and Magnus’ magic flows through his hands and right after they’re both satisfied, Alec mumbles out, “I love your magic,” as he falls asleep.

The only thing that echoes through Magnus’ mind, as he falls asleep and when he wakes up in Alec’s arms the next morning, the thing he doesn’t tell Alec is, “What I feel for you is the most terrifying thing I’ve ever felt.” The thing he doesn’t tell Alec is, “I love that you make me try.” The thing he doesn’t tell Alec is, “I love what my magic does when you are around me.” The thing he doesn’t tell Alec is, “I think that even though I am a prince of Hell, you have all of the power to break me in two.”

The thing that he doesn’t tell Alec is, “I love you.” Even though it’s one of the greatest and worst truths he knows.

Season 2, Episode 10,  _By the Light of Dawn_ /Season 2, Episode 20,  _Beside Still Water_

Magnus has been panicking for the last hour, to say the least. When he left the Institute with Madzie, the madman was still trying to kill all of his friends, as well as the man he could now, amidst the panic, admit he loved more than anyone he had loved in a long time, possibly ever, as well as all of that man’s family and friends, and the stress was almost too much to bear. His magic was causing tremors throughout Catarina’s small Brooklyn apartment, which was agitating Madzie who was still not in perfect control of her powers, causing levels of air in the apartment to change, which in turn led to a feedback loop of stress between their magics until Cat finally snapped and forced Magnus to go back to the Institute to check on Alec, and at dawn he finally did it.

When he first got there, it was a mess of Shadowhunters who had been on patrol in other parts of the city and supports from Idris running into the Institute to help, and for a moment the horrifying realization that the chances that anyone would have thought to call him if something had happened to Alec in all this were minimal at best and he felt his magic begin to crumble--

And then he could see Alec’s tall figure and strong shoulders and the relief that swept through him was so complete he couldn’t even say anything to warn Alec when he grabbed his arm, and then Alec’s worried eyes were focused directly on him for a split moment before the two of them were collapsing into each other, and they were literally as close as they could possibly be, but Magnus’ magic wanted him closer, so the flood of Shadowhunters that would undoubtedly have questions never even came close to them, which was something that he wouldn’t stop his magic from doing because they deserved this moment where it was just them.

Magnus feels like he’s floating through these moments, and at first when Alec begins to explain what he thought happened, Magnus thinks that he’s asking about Madzie and how they got out and he explains it as quick as he can, to ease Alec’s mind, but he still seems agitated, and Magnus just listens as he says:

“Magnus, on every mission I’ve ever been on, I’ve never felt that type of fear. Not knowing if you were alive or dead… I was terrified.”

(The feeling is mutual.)

And Magnus expects that to be it, but then--

But then--

“Magnus--Magnus, I love you.”

And Magnus’ whole world just… stops. For a few moments, and he’s not sure if his magic acted up again, or if he just felt so much more than usual that his brain took longer to process it, but for a moment it truly feels as if the world is no longer moving. And Magnus is helpless to respond with anything but, “I love you, too.”

Alec and he kiss, and it’s full of the fear and relief of the last however many hours it’s been since this whole mess started, and the grief of the hours to come, and it’s full of love and love and love, and then they stop and they just hold each other and breathe the same air for a few moments.

It takes a few hours to for them to get started on fixing all the shit that went down, but eventually they make it back to the loft and they just… sit together, on the couch, in each other’s space and absorbing everything that’s happened, sometimes quietly talking over everything that’s happened and more times kissing softly and saying “love you”, but mostly just sitting there in silence, drifting fingers over hands and necks and chests, feeling each other’s pulse.

After what feels like forever sitting like that, Magnus feels more than lets his glamour drop and the action sparks him into saying, “I wish I could understand why this keeps happening,” and Alec hums curiously in response, and somehow Magnus manages to explain all of the ways his magic has reacted in so many weird ways to Alec’s presence.

By the time he’s done with his impromptu rant, Alec’s head is tilted to the side and all he says is, “I know exactly what you mean.”

“Huh?”

“I just… The whole reacting differently to me? I do the same thing to you or… Or well, whatever angel in me reacts that way to you.”

That’s not what Magnus expected to hear, and he raises an amused eyebrow. “Oh really? Well, why do you think it does that?”

Alec doesn’t respond teasingly like he expects him to; instead, he sits up, and says, “I don’t know why it does that, Magnus. But I think that we should go to sleep after all of this… Shit. All I need to know for tonight is that… I love you. All of you. And that you love me. And we’re both alive. Can we let that be enough?”

Magnus can’t find it in himself to refuse, and so they go to bed, content without answers for the night.

On a similar night, several months and one argument/reunion later, Alec is the one to bring it up, on accident as he is wont to do. They had taken to walking home rather than portal at Alec’s insistence, and as Magnus stepped in the door, imagining out loud whether making a steak or ordering in would be better for his magic, he felt the emptiness of space behind him and when he turned around, Alec was looking at him like he was something wonderful and completely foreign to him.

“What is it, Alexander?” he asks, feeling slightly uncomfortable, not fully understanding why. “And do shut the door dear, it’s rather chilly outside.”

Alec seems to shut the door on autopilot, and he eventually smiles and says, “I just… Didn’t expect your magic to be as forgiving as you, that’s all.”

Magnus is confused to say the least. “What do you mean? My magic…?”

“Remember a few months ago,” Alec starts apropos of nothing, seemingly agitated but in a positive way, “when you told me about your magic acting odd around me… Well, I spent days thinking about it, and… I think I finally have the answer.”

“Well, I’m all ears then,” Magnus murmurs, walking into Alec’s space and looking at him with more intensity that curiosity because honestly, Magnus doesn’t give a fuck anymore, it’s just a part of his world at this point: he’s immortal, he wears a lot of makeup and glitter, and his boyfriend has made his magic go haywire since they met.

“It’s because… well, we’re better together than apart. I think there is something… Bigger in this universe than us, Magnus, and I don’t know what it is, but I think it made you, and then somewhere along the line it made me, and it thought, ‘oh, these two are meant to keep each other’, and your magic, and my angel blood… Well, I think they just know that, that universal truth, and respond accordingly.”

Magnus is kind of reeling, after all of this. It makes everything click in his mind because, whether he recognized it or not, that had always been something that he thought, hadn’t it? That his magic was secretly whispering to him, _This one is the one that you are meant for, this is the one that we want to stay_. And it’s so true, in his deepest core, that he does what he usually does when he’s not quite ready to fully accept things: he obfuscates.

“So, your angel blood reacts that way to me, too, huh?” he says teasingly, fluttering his eyelashes.

“Always,” Alec responds honestly, as he does ( _usually_ , a darker part of his mind reminds him, a part that he ignores for tonight, because if he thinks that this is heavy, he cannot deal with the honesty and Soul Sword tonight). But then he smiles and says, “I guess both you and your magic want me around, if the wards didn’t prevent me from walking in.”

Magnus finds a touch of honesty in himself, and says, “I always wanted you to come back in. I always loved you, and if you’re right about this then… Well, I guess I always will.”

The mood is appropriately somber, and they close the distance between them and hold each other. Magnus can hear the hope in Alec’s voice as he says, “Hm… I think I like the sound of forever.”

And for a moment, Magnus forgets everything but the sound of Alec’s heartbeat and the buzzing of their magic in the space between them and says, “If forever sounds like this, I think I like it, too.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Going so soon?”  
> He whirls around and finds himself face-to-nose with the man who got him in at the start of the night. “O-oh, uh…”  
> “Alec,” the man provides with growing amusement. “At least let me walk you out and make sure you get to a cab safely? Since I did say that I would be responsible for you.”
> 
> (Or, the bonus time that proves that Magnus' magic acts this way across all universes.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I might be obsessed with writing This World Inverted!Malec. Why? I dunno, you'll have to ask me when I'm high and can access better planes of my own understanding. All I know is that this is the first of many headcanons I have for these wacky kids, and I may just start a series dedicated to it, including that other fic that I promise I will update soon.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this little slice of (party) life!

Bonus: Season 1, Episode 10,  _This World Inverted_

The air in the party (after Magnus has closed the portal behind the interdimensional interlopers and used the appropriate spells to erase even the fleeting memories of demons and magic potentially left behind) is not something winding down and getting ready for cleanup. It’s more… Anticipatory than that, and Magnus is not entirely sure why  _ that’s _ the sense he gets, until he realizes that the head of the company that was hosting the party-- _ Valentine, right? Ragnor mentioned something about a successful computer mogul Val Morgenstern _ \--is waving to his employees as he walks out the front doors with a wink and an arm around a beautiful red-headed woman.

Within moments after he leaves, the tasteful top 40 fades away and the DJ starts playing…

_ Oh, god _ , Magnus thinks, shuddering a little,  _ club music. That’s my cue to go _ .

Magnus starts looking around (a bit quicker than normal, feeling his newly awoken magic acting up in concert with his anxiety) for an exit, and just as he sighs in relief at having found one, he hears an amused voice behind him say, “Going so soon?”

He whirls around and finds himself face-to-nose with the man who got him in at the start of the night. “Oh, uh…”

“Alec,” the man provides with growing amusement. “At least let me walk you out and make sure you get to a cab safely? Since I did say that I would be responsible for you.” A slight smirk, roaming eyes up and down Magnus’ entirety, and Magnus’ magic kind of… Flutters a little.

And in this case, flutter means turning his socks green and adding some subtle glittery pinstripes on Magnus’ only button down.

_ Goddammit I haven’t felt like this since I was a teen learning how to control my magic. _

“... Guess?” Magnus thanks whoever decided to pick the colored lights, because he’s pretty sure they are his only like of defense when it comes to hiding his blush and the slight changes of color in his clothes.

With that, Alec turns to the man in the purple shirt who wouldn’t let him in earlier and shares some quiet conversation, and they start walking to the door--

“Uh, aren’t we leaving?” Magnus says, startled as Alec leads them the  _ opposite _ way of the door.

“There’s a back entrance that has better street access, which I don’t understand  _ how _ . But you know old buildings, right?” He almost seems, embarrassed, or at the very least not as completely sure as he was a few minutes before, or maybe it’s just a trick of the light.

“I suppose.”

They eventually make it to the back door, and Magnus realizes with a start that he can’t just throw up a portal with Alec standing there, and the chances of him getting a cab at this time of night with his outfit and general demeanor--

“Uber it is,” Alec says, coming to the same conclusion despite not having all of the facts, and when Alec opens the app, Magnus only gets a word out in protest before Alec says, “Look, you can enter your own address or any address near your place but… I want to make sure you get home safely tonight and I can afford it.”

Magnus would argue the point, but honestly the sincerity and earnestness bleeding from his tone makes Magnus’ knees go a little weak, so he just gives a little nod and types in the coffee shop near his place. Alec nods a little, and orders the Uber. “It’ll take about 10 minutes or so to get here. You okay waiting for that long?”

“Yes, I… Thank you.”

A smirk, but it’s soft. “Not a problem.”

Magnus feels more than sees the foliage behind him start to grow flowers, so he says loudly, “So, what are you doing here?” At Alec’s raised eyebrow and smirk, Magnus stutters out, “At the party, not generally speaking.”

“Ah, well, it would be a little weird for the event planner to not show up to his own event, wouldn’t it?” The smirk is still firmly in place, but a prouder smile is dancing on the corners of his mouth and the softness in his eyes, and in the wonder of Alec Lightwood’s face, he almost forgets but then--

“Oh, right, that would make sense,” he manages, and then says nothing else. 

They stand in silence for a few moments, and eventually Alec says, “So, Magnus Bane--what do you do for a living?”  
It startles a snort out of him. “So you haven’t seen the psychic commercials.”

“The psychic comm--wait, you’re  _ that _ Magnus Bane?”

That startles a full laugh out of him, and he nods in between chuckles. “It’s a fun gig, what can I say?”

Alec laughs along. “It must be, and you seem successful. Can you do a reading for me?”

“Well, I don’t have--” And then Magnus feels something enter his jacket, and when he checks inside, he sees the wisps of his magic dancing off of the tarot card deck in his inside pocket.

When he pulls them out, Alec chuckles a little. “You brought your work with you? Is that what you were doing at the party?”

Magnus chooses to ignore the questions (mostly because he doesn’t have a good answer for them) and instead offers his cards up with a raised eyebrow of his own, an unknown amount of confidence coming to life within him.

Both of Alec’s eyebrows raise this time. “Here? Now?”

Magnus shrugs. “Why not? The Uber is probably gonna be later because of traffic, I have the time.”  _ Also my magic may really  _ really _ want me to do this for you and I’m finding myself hard pressed to deny it something that it so desperately wants after spending so long pushing it down. _

So they sit on a nearby bench, with Magnus cross-legged facing Alec and Alec sitting forward for when the car arrives.  Magnus shuffles all of the cards as quickly as he can, and asks calmly, “Do you just wanna ask a question and I’ll tell you what the card says?”

Alec looks at Magnus, and Magnus is pretty sure that he’s staring right through him and into the soul he’s not even convinced he has, and then he lightens up and smirks, saying, “What are my chances of getting laid tonight?”

Alec snickers and Magnus is… Unamused, to say the least, but he reluctantly pulls out a card. “The six of pentacles, reversed. It is unlikely that you will get laid tonight, and you may want to evaluate your reasons for wanting such a thing.”

At first, Magnus was afraid he was too harsh, but then Alec just smiles and laughs, says, “That’s fair, I suppose I shouldn’t be so blunt about it. Do I get another question?”

Magnus is tempted to say no, but--“Well, the car’s not here yet, is it?”

“No, it’s not.” Another unusually piercing look, then, “How will my potential contract with that homophobic bitch fair?”

Magnus raises a curious/judgmental eyebrow, but pulls out a, “Ten of wands, you’ll get the contract but you won’t like it. Is that something that happened already?”

Alec nods with a shrug, not even close to looking guilty as he looks at his phone and up at the street, obviously seeing the car in the long line of traffic. “I wanted to see if it’s bullshit, but that’s actually pretty spot on. I got the contract yesterday, and already I’m seeing it being almost more hassle than it’s worth. The only reason I’m staying is because there are lots of zeros on that check, so I can donate it to charities for causes she hates or whatever.” After his little spiel, he looks a tad sheepish, like he didn’t mean to share so much, and it puts a soft smile on Magnus’ face.

“One last question? Since I can tell the car is almost here,” he says softly. Alec turns his head to level a serious look at Magnus, but instead of it being piercing, it feels more… Searching, like he’s trying to see if it will work.

“Will I get to see you again, Magnus Bane? Without having to stalk you at work, because I am willing to go pretty far but that seems like too much even for me.”

Magnus’ magic sparks a little, and he can tell that the cards have shuffled, and Alec looks at the cards with a bit of suspicion and wonder and curiosity, and Magnus says, without pulling out a card, “Yes, you will, as long as I have any say in it.”

“But I want to know what the cards say.” Some small concern is wiped away from Alec’s face, and he’s back to being confident, now that Magnus has given his answer. Magnus pulls out the card, and lays it in between them. Him and Alec look at it for several minutes, and eventually Alec says, “Is that for real or are you messing with me.”

Magnus looks up and says, “I wish I were messing with you, that would make a lot more sense.”

Alec smirks and picks up the card. “The Lovers. Does this mean something different than I think it does?”

“It represents, in its most basic terms, a union of two souls, through emotion and attraction, but… It also has an aura of commitment, that it’s not destiny that created this but a series of choices and a lot of hardwork.”

They are both quiet for awhile, with Alec looking at the car as it drives near their destination, lost in thought. Magnus quietly puts away his cards and stands. The action seems to make Alec aware again and he stands up waving down the Uber. As it pulls up, Magnus can tell Alec is looking at him, and he’s had a lot more bravery tonight than he has had in years, but he thinks that the bravery it would take to look at Alec now is more than he’s had in his entire life.

“You are an interesting challenge, Mr. Bane,” Alec says quietly, as the car pulls up and he opens the passenger door for him. “I look forward to seeing you again.”

Magnus may not be brave enough to look this man in the eye, but his magic is wild enough that before he knows it, a business card is in his pocket and he’s holding it out to Alec. “So you can call me,” he says, his voice a bit rougher than usual. As soon as the card leaves his hand, he quickly sits in his seat and puts his seatbelt on. The door closes behind him with a soft tug from his magic, which says something about how Alec’s grip had weakened, and Magnus is being driven away, into the pulsing streets of the city.

As the Institute and its pulsing lights disappear from the side mirror, Magnus finds it within himself to smile, and as the driver attempts to make small talk, all Magnus can think is:

_ You’ve unlocked something in me, Alec. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand that's it! Now, back to CMBL and one fic that I have not worked on in almost a full month that I lovingly dub "monster". Feel free to scream at me at liminoidal.tumblr.com cuz I love being yelled at.
> 
> Happy holidays, or at the very least I hope you have a good day today! And thanks for all the support! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Like always, I will probably read it later to fix any editing mistakes, but I genuinely think this is a solid idea for coming up with it while going manic with finals. Lemme know what you think, either here or by yelling at me at liminoidal.tumblr.com (which I will laugh at you maniacally). If you have questions, or concerns, feel free to message me there too.
> 
> Thanks for reading guys, and the second chapter may be a glitch...or is it a hint of a potential AU bonus? Only time (and how fast I can get out the next chapter of CMBL) will tell.


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